Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World

Chapter: Restructuring the City

Efrain Doherty and Chad Finnegan were stripped of their Seri status and kicked out of City Hall. Naturally, Abel didn't go as far as to investigate their past mistakes. He focused only on issues that had arisen after he took office.

"If we were to dig up everything from the past, there would be no end to it," he reasoned.

In regard to the embezzlement case, they simply handed it over to the court. To this extent, it could be said that the matter was handled appropriately. Bureaucrats would be alarmed, and word would spread about the mayor's working style. It was burdensome for Abel to meddle any further.

There was, however, a notable lack of talent at City Hall.

"How is it that all your employees are in charge of collection?" he thought, incredulous.

No matter how dire the state of the city became, it seemed they had no intention of addressing it. Finding new talent seemed unlikely, especially in such circumstances. What good would it do to recruit skilled individuals now? Training would take at least a year. In that case, he would have to pull resources from somewhere else.

"We can handle it like the Governor-General of Shuguri," he mused.

Thanks to the top staff at Allegan, they were able to navigate through the crisis. Of course, it wasn't necessary to do the exact same thing here; after all, Abel had access to a multi-platform group now.

"Would you like to come in for a moment?"

"Yes? Yes, sir."

The secretary appeared in an instant, as if he'd been waiting outside, prepared.

"Please deliver this to Director Wilkin at the Medias Shopping District," Abel instructed.

"Yes, I understand."

"If you escort the person back here, it'll probably be easier."

"Yes?"

The secretary looked puzzled, but quickly nodded. Though he seemed slightly clumsy, he didn't appear incapable of handling the task. His desk was neatly organized, and his movements were swift. Abel felt reassured; this was much better than dealing with greedy Seris.

"There's no need to change the secretary. We should start by creating an organizational chart," he thought.

What departments would be essential to make the city function well?

Reflecting on a modern city alone would provide a strong example. But this wasn't a modern society; it was a medieval dark fantasy world. Replicating a city hall's organizational structure here was out of the question. The difference in scale was striking.

"A city back on Earth would have a population of at least 10 million. Here, it's barely 1 million," he reasoned.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was only logical to plan more simply. Immediate needs included departments for firefighting, water and sewage management, and waste disposal. In modern times, these would be handled by a fire department and a water resources agency. But here, there wasn't even a basic administration, let alone specialized organizations.

"Alright. Let's go with this plan, and then…" Abel immersed himself in his work for a long while.

Surprisingly, the task was enjoyable. Soon, members of the Dapan Group, who would become his aides, arrived at City Hall.

"I've selected 50 people, as you requested, Chairman. They're all smart, so they should be useful," said Director Tobias Wilkin, standing with the support team.

Abel couldn't help but smile at the sight of the top students from Carrier's Night School.

"Good. Everyone, write your names on a piece of paper and hand it in. Also, choose the department you'd like to join."

He immediately assigned them to their respective roles. Of course, this didn't mean the organization was fully established; there was still much to be done. For instance, they didn't even have desks yet. But for now, it would suffice.

'I won't be spending much time at City Hall anyway,' Abel thought to himself.

---

Since Duke Carrier took the mayoral seat, Perias had experienced a major transformation. The most noticeable change was the absence of trash on the streets.

"No, why is it so clean?" a passerby asked.

"City Hall sent people. It seems they collected everything," another replied.

"Then can I just throw my trash here again?"

"No way. There's a garbage collection point over there. Take it there."

"Why bother? Just throw it anywhere like before."

"That's the Duke of Carrier's orders. The propagandists are spreading the message."

"Oh, then I'll follow it, no questions asked."

The original citizens of Perias were notoriously difficult to control. It was common to rely on fear and force rather than kind words to get things done. Nobles often claimed that only by beating their inferiors could work be accomplished.

But something was different this time. Even though the propagandist merely delivered a brief message and left, the citizens complied willingly.

This shift was all thanks to Abel Carrier's reputation.

"No one can oppose him," they murmured.

"Yes, exactly."

"What's this picture on the sign?" a citizen asked, pointing.

"It means to separate trash from excrement before disposal," came the reply.

"Aha! So they don't mix? That sounds much cleaner."

Surprisingly, this spirit of cooperation continued for quite some time. However, there were frequent negative opinions as well, especially among the nobles, who viewed the Duke's initiatives with skepticism.

"Will this really keep the streets clean? It's bound to get dirty again soon," they scoffed.

"Of course. Those commoners will revert to their old ways soon enough."

"We pay far more in taxes. Why don't they focus on cleaning the noble districts?"

"Because it was already clean?" one countered sarcastically.

"He's only doing this to gain popularity."

While they couldn't voice outright complaints, this type of criticism was widespread. Yet, things didn't unfold as the nobles anticipated.

Surprisingly, the waste disposal department was thriving. The number of people volunteering to load and transport waste by cart increased rapidly, as many young people who'd struggled to find employment took on the job.

"I didn't expect city officials to be so diligent," someone noted.

"It's all thanks to the Duke of Carrier. If he hadn't intervened, the city wouldn't be this clean."

"We no longer have to worry about water shortages every summer. I've never seen the sewers so well-maintained."

"People were saying he would fail this time. Ha! They're clueless."

Perias was likely far more beautiful when it was first built, and while it hadn't regained its former glory, the city had become quite presentable. But Abel didn't stop there.

He seemed to be preparing for something, gathering a large crowd in the city square. Then, he made an announcement.

"We will begin large-scale civil engineering work from now on."

The statement left not only the nobles, who understood Perias's inner workings, but even the commoners, utterly bewildered. In a city as complex as this, what sort of construction could he possibly undertake? Abel's plan seemed like it would only heighten the confusion.

When all eyes were on him, the Duke spoke again.

"We are going to completely overhaul the city's water supply. As such, the water supply will be temporarily shut off."

"Huh? Wait, how far will this reach? Even the palace?" someone asked, visibly shocked.

For a moment, silence fell over the crowd. Mentioning the palace was bold, even daring.

"Of course," Abel responded, unflinching.

People thought the Duke had finally lost his mind. But his expression remained steady, as though he had anticipated such reactions. After a moment, murmurs rippled through the crowd as everyone realized the implications.

"Is this what His Majesty the Emperor has instructed?"

A sudden silence fell over the crowd.

The so-called supreme ruler of the empire had just made a substantial concession. Such an unexpected gesture naturally drew shocked reactions.

"Ah! I am so touched that His Majesty the Emperor has thought of us like this. I don't know what to do with myself," someone exclaimed.

"As expected, he is different from those pig-like nobles!"

"He was originally a kind and wise man, but he became cruel to set the tottering imperial family straight!"

The nobles watching from a distance stepped back uncertainly, while only those hired as laborers dared to cheer. Emperor Shuguri's actions struck them deeply. But in reality, there had been no such decree.

Abel was certain it was all a lie.

The emperor had merely permitted the construction of water supply and sewerage, garbage disposal, and fire-fighting facilities. There was no mention of cutting off the palace's water supply.

All of this was something Abel had packaged. But why had he gone to such lengths?

'It's time for something new,' Abel thought.

The rumor was that only the palaces and noble districts had access to running water. The original plumbing had been installed when the city was built, around 450 years ago. From then until now, the tap water had been used without any significant maintenance.

'The contamination must be terrible by now.'

The old system had likely grown filthy over the centuries, with no way to clean or replace the pipes.

'We need a complete overhaul,' Abel decided.

The water supply itself was another issue.

The city's water was simply drawn from the lake, which was never particularly clean. It was naturally prone to carrying waterborne diseases.

To address this, Abel decided to build a water treatment facility north of Perias.

Instead of adding chemicals, the new plant would use a sand filtration system to purify the water. Along with encouraging the populace to boil water for more than 30 minutes before drinking, this setup would prevent most illnesses.

Additionally, it would act as a safeguard against attempts to poison the city's water.

"Alright," Abel said aloud, his mind resolute. "Let's get to work."